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The UN's World Food Programme says two more plane-loads have been impounded by the authorities, who say they welcome aid but want to control distribution.

Correspondents in the country say aid is reaching survivors, but not enough.

Burma's leaders are under fire for holding a referendum while 1.5 million people are affected by the disaster.

The UN, which has launched a $187m (£96m) appeal for aid, says those in the worst-affected areas urgently need food, shelter and medical aid.

Burma's state media says 23,335 died, but the UN fears the toll could be about 100,000.

Government control

The WFP says it is in talks with the government over the plane-loads of high-energy biscuits, shelter materials, and communications and office equipment which have been held by the authorities.

Earlier on Saturday, a convoy from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, crossed into Burma from Thailand with 22 tonnes of tents and other humanitarian supplies.

After the cyclone struck on 3 May, aid agencies already in the country started relief efforts with supplies they had available.

Aid has been flown in from Burma's neighbours, such as China and Thailand, and the first US relief flight is expected to arrive on Monday.

But aid agencies say the Burmese government does not have the capacity to handle the scale of the relief efforts needed and must allow more foreign aid and disaster experts into the country.

One aid worker said the agencies are having to work under the strict parameters set by the government.

"The government wants total control of the situation although they can't provide much and they have no experience in relief efforts," he told the Associated Press, but did not want to be named.

"We have to report to them every step of the way, every decision we make. Their eyes are everywhere, monitoring what we do, who we talk to, what we bring in and how much."

Disease

Christian Aid says it is distributing water purification tablets, blankets and medicines to 100,000 people but supplies are being sourced from within Burma, and this will become more difficult as time goes by.

Its says the scale of this disaster means that the response needs to be on a massive scale which can only happen if the Burmese government allows international aid agencies into the country.

"Supplies will run out unless more aid is allowed into the country," said Ray Hasan, the charity's Burma expert.

"Partners are telling that there are outbreaks of disease already. There is no time to lose."

Christian Aid says people are asking for rice seeds, as their supplies have been damaged. Unless people plant the seeds in the next month, they will have no supplies of rice until May 2009.

Poll doubts

Burma's generals have been criticised for pressing ahead with a referendum on a national constitution in the midst of the cyclone chaos.

Voting took place in two-thirds of the country on Saturday, but was postponed for two weeks in the worst-hit areas - including the Irrawaddy delta and Rangoon, the main city.

The country's ruling generals say the vote will pave the way for democratic elections in 2010, while the opposition says it is intended to entrench military rule.

Correspondents say many people in Burma are cynical about the vote and had felt compelled to vote "yes" because of the presence of soldiers around polling stations.

Groups involved in last year's pro-democracy protests accused the junta of concentrating on a "sham constitutional referendum" instead of "putting all resources toward saving the lives" of cyclone victims.

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(BBC)

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